DECIDING THE MOST EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION MEDIUM FOR OPTIMUM RESULT

Some time ago, I applied for a job. Before the application, I took a very close look at the job specification, and without doubt, knew that that was my comfort zone. It was a job I have always done with ease, as its roles were the preambles of my major skills. My conclusion was that, if the HR Department of the organisation is fair, I should at least, be invited for the interview.

After a few days of waiting, I received an email from the company stating that unfortunately, I had not been shortlisted for the interview. If the content of the email had ended there, there wouldn’t have been any qualms as far as I was concerned. But the HR Assistant decided to go a bit further by attempting to add a little insult to it. He advised that next time I put in for a job application; I should use my common sense to pick jobs that I am qualified for. That was literally the message.

When I read it, my first impulse was to fire back with a stinging response, but on a second thought, I decided to look at the position of the sender in the organisation. When I saw that he was a junior person, I kept my cool, and said to myself, ‘This boy need some training on communication skills.’

The use of language has always been a challenge to many people. Some people may not mean harm, but their inability to know the symbols and elements to use when passing a message make them appear to be what wasn’t in their intention. The HR Assistant that sent me an email may not have the intention of being rude, but his message was.

To communicate effectively, the medium you choose will determine how people will perceive your message. You may have a good message, but if you choose the wrong medium of communication, you will be misunderstood. Every code must go through the right channel before it can be broken. If it passes through an improper route, it will get lost in translation, and that is where the trouble begins.

I observe people daily, and I also observe myself. I am not insensitive to my actions; I know what I do daily, and I take responsibility for it. In me, and in other people in my world that I observe, I have fished out the following media of effectively communicating a message.

Character: one major medium of communication is attitude; positive or negative. Character sends more messages than any other medium of communication. The best way people can tell you who they are and what they have inside is by the way they behave. If they tell you one thing, but act in another way, take their action as the real thing. Character is a great communicator.

Thoughts: it is shocking that many people don’t realise that thoughts are great ways in which intents are communicated. The thoughts of man are written all over his face, even if he appears motionless. A man that is buried in thoughts exhibits a certain type of mood. He may pretend not to be, but someone who is sensitive to thoughts will know that the man sitting beside him is lost in his world of deep ponder.

Rhythm: the type of songs a man sings at certain stages of his life expresses his challenges, opportunities, or status quo. Don’t take a hum for granted; there is a message encoded in it. Some people that we ignored their hums at certain times have gone on to pull certain surprises. Only the fool overlooks the consistent symphony of a troubled, apprehensive, comprehensive, or frenzied man.

Fashion: some fashion is message to certain watchers. Those who it is meant for clearly understand. Those who it isn’t, seriously misunderstand. Understanding and misunderstanding show that truly, a message has been sent.

Image: a logo is a message carrier, even if nothing is written on it. A picture reflects the intention, expectation, or outcome of something or somewhere. If carefully taken or drawn, it does not require too much interpretation for its target audience to have a clear direction of its destination. Image is obviously an effective means of communication.

The spoken Word: with your words, you can contact your future. With your language, you can speak to your dream to become real. With that same word, you can break the relationship between you and your vision. That is the reason you must mind what you say!

Tone: tone always gives you away; it exposes your genuineness or fakeness over issues of concern. If you say, ‘I will visit you tomorrow,’ your tone tells people if you will actually do it or not!

Body Language: you can tell who is ready, or who isn’t with their body language. A man responds with his body before using his mouth. That response may be spontaneous, but if you’re swift with your observation, you will easily spot it.

Each of the above media is used on different occasions for passing its unique information. Communication is everything if you know where, when, and how to apply it. Don’t send a message using wrong channels. Carefully determine what will be useful based on content type and time. You can’t get it wrong if you understand how to use the variables of communication.

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